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Technology

Nano-pants 97

Posted by michael from the like-mini-skirts,-but-smaller dept.
anvilmark writes "Saw an article at USA Today about a new manufacturing technology that adds stain-resistance and Gore-Tex like abilities to fabrics. The company Nano-Tex has developed a process that adds whiskers to cotton or man-made fibers that repel water but still allow sweat to pass. It's only supposed to add $5.00 to the cost of a pair of pants."
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Nano-pants

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  • Remember the gloves the Vickies wore in the Diamond Age? Didn't get wet, stains just fell off... almost sounds like we're halfway there already. Coolness.

    But then, it's compared to Goretex everywhere, and that has been around for a long time. It's pretty good if you do a lot of outdoor sports, but for most people it's not really useful. It's not *that* good. But this at least sounds like it's a lot cheaper and it can be applied to all kinds of materials! That is pretty cool, again.

    And it's nanotech! I really thought that that wouldn't arrive for a long long time, if at all. It's not a 5cc sized super-super-computer yet, but it's at least useful, and most technologies don't become useful that quickly :-)

  • no, that was Mamo-Tex, cotton fibers with microscopic breast implants graphed on.
  • Because if it does, I'm gonna put off buying that Aerostich a little longer. Leather is a wonderfully versatile material, but I have yet to see a waterproofing technology that didn't turn leather boots, gloves, jackets, and pants into an uncomfortable vapor barrier, making it as useless on a hot dry day as it is on a cold wet one.

    --
  • I was under the impression that GoreTex-based clothing was layered, and that the GoreTex layer was an interior layer, not on the exterior.

    See Gear Views [mountainwoman.com];

    In three layer garments the outer shell, GoreTex layer and a fine net lining are all laminated together.

    Thus, assuming you have the heavier duty "three layer" version, and it's still breaking down, that seems to me to not be the fault of the GoreTex layer, and not something that replacing GoreTex with something else would solve.

    Perhaps they should be using Kevlar [dupont.com] or Nomex [dupont.com] (well, that's more for fire resistance!) for the outer shell; the point is that it is not likely GoreTex's fault that your clothing breaks down, and replacing it with something "better" without looking at the outer shell isn't going to gain you anything.

  • I know it's a worn out phrase, but...

    I'll believe it when I see it.

  • The only thing worse then doing laundry is cooking a meal (more complicated then pasta or white rice) and camaflouge fatigues will (thankfully) never catch on. They might smell like they need to be washed but they sure as hell wont look it!
    "Me Ted"
  • The patent on gore-tex ran out in the last year or there abouts. So the price has come down, and there are lots of choices. Helly Hansen, Columbia (which is finally making realy good stuff), REI, etc. all have their version of breathable waterproof shells.

    The only problem is, they are probably based completely or in part on gore's patent. I have no idea how that may affect things, but they would probably be similar in characteristics to gore (ie, not quite up to the market hype yet). I've found Helly Hansen's stuff to be barely acceptable, but have had decent luck with REI's stuff.

    Anyways, have fun out there....
    Jason
    Portland, OR
  • Yeah, and then you can connect it to your stillsuit and be all set for life.

    -Chris
    ...More Powerful than Otto Preminger...
  • 'May you live in interesting pants.' - "Interesting Times" by Terry Pratchett, the only British author worth reading.
  • Actualy this is more like the boots Carl used (with nanosites pluging the pores).

    Though they do mention "How about self-cleaning textiles that are covered in nano-machines that eject dirt?", but that sounds more like USAToday 'journalism' then reality.

    echo $email | sed s/[A-Z]//g | rot13

  • It'll be nice to have even better materials, especially dry ones! Living in Canada and doing work outdoors or even playing, I find that even the warmest clothes get too wet, and then become too cold!

    But yeah, blankets made of this material would be beneficial as well in disaster relief - warm and wet.

    Too bad I didn't have these clothes last weekend otherwise, I wouldn't have been sick in bed all this week.

    Cartoon break...

    Brain - And do you understand the ramifications of these nano-fibre pants, Pinky?

    Pinky - Oooooh - they're shiny!

    Brain - Yes, they are shiny...

  • i was hoping these were pants i could ^X to get out of (patent free of course)

    ---
    pack

  • Now kids can play with Mr. Hanky without their parents knowing...
  • I hope that they come out with some black military pants with this stuff. I like to wear black military pants to work because they look like black Dockers, but have enough pockets for my wallet, keys, cell phone & Palm Pilot. They're also a lot more durable than Dockers while costing about the same.

    I suppose the military could find some potential uses for it too.
    ;-)
  • Hot Grints down my Nano Pants!

    Seriously though, what the hell are they talking about Nano pants? I have scotchguard, and a few other stain resistant clothes (my kevlar threaded motorcycle jacket rejects stains very well) it just seems like yet another hype to make another $5.00 off the pants. It's not like this feature is going to cost the consumer $5.00, probably $10.00 to $20.00 as soon as the fad takes off.

  • It's not like Gore-Tex(tm). It's more like a form of DWR. It will have very low pressure resistance, but probably high breathability. Part of the issuse will be what type of fabric the threads are woven into. If it's a micro-fiber type of fabric (ultra fine threads woven very tightly) it could be wind proof and have Activent (a discontinued form of Gore-Tex-lite) like water resistance (which is to say, so-so in wind driven rain)

  • Yes. This is worthy of slashdot. (Score:4)

    by Tin Weasil ( 246885 ) on Thursday January 11, 2001 @10:44AM (#513741) Homepage Journal
    I am seeing a number of posts by people wondering if this kind of thing is worthy of Slashdot. I say it is, and here's why:

    Stain resistance and water resistance will be required of any fabric used in the construction of "smart clothing". If you are going to embed a computer/telecomunications device in a jacket/shirt/whatever, you will need to use a material that will repel any elements that might be harmful to the circuitry.

    Sometimes we have to remember that things that appear "low tech" on the surface can often be catalysts to future advancements.
  • This article failed to state why this "new" technology is better than existing technologies that work incredible well. It seems this fabric would lose its properties over time (or if put up to a cigarette lighter for long). Not to mention water can pass through the material if "forced" (as the article stated). Gore-tex clothing has been around for quite awhile, its also water-proof. If you are wet underneath the Gore-tex layer, your body heat will evaporate your prespiration, turn it into water vapor, which is a small enough particle to pass through the Gore-tex layer and escape. I'm extreamly happy with my camping bag, pants, windbreaker, "gators", etc made of the stuff.
  • If it works as well as Gore-Tex, it will probably cost as much as Gore-Tex. It all depends on how much demand for the product there is.
  • Well, not "microscopic"....

    :)
  • Nobody actually calls them underpants here -- that's just ridiculous. Pants are items of clothing that cover your legs to at least mid-calf. Undergarments of that length are long johns.

    --

  • Is that a nano-probe in your pants or are you just glad to see me?
  • Our technology permanently attaches nano-scale structures that are 1/1000 the size of a conventional cotton fiber to the fabric using cutting-edge applications of polymer chemistry.
    Reference [nano-tex.com]

  • Bill Clinton (Score:3)

    by TheNecromancer ( 179644 ) on Thursday January 11, 2001 @11:34AM (#513749)
    I betcha ole Slick Willy wished Monica was wearing a nano-dress when he stained it, eh?

  • Gore-tex patent recently expired (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Hey Moondog-

    You probably know this, or have noticed the competition, but the best news is that the patent on gore-tex expired within the last year or so. Pretty sweet news if you ask me... It's been pleasantly surprising how many other versions of gore-tex have been showing up.

    I've noticed that Helly Hansens verion is only OK, but REI's has been working pretty well for me. They've all kept more water out, but haven't been that good at letting sweat escape.

    Anyways, just rambling....

    Have fun out there,
    Jason
    Portland, OR
  • Oh please.

    It's trivial to encase the circuitry in some protectant, which is really going to be necessary anyway, 'nano' fabric or not.

    I think the only reason the story made it to Slashdot is because of their propensity to post anything containing the prefix "nano". What a bunch of crap.
  • I'm not even going to pretend to understand the chemistry involved in your post. But the article mentions that 1)it doesn't change the look or feel of the fabric 2)it doesn't wash off. Would a chemical treatment like octa(big chemistry words) do both of those things? I think you referred to the product Rain-X that makes water bead on glass. That stuff washes off after a while. Of course, the article is very short on tech so we'll see. It sounds cool to me, though.

    -B
  • The fuzz creates a cushion of air around the fibers, Soane says

    So I guess not only will these garments be waterproof, but pretty buoyant as well. "Nano-fuzz" clothes might prove safer to wear on a boat. I remember using air-filled t-shirts and jeans as floatation devices in the Boy Scouts... a run-of-the-mill cotton t-shirt doesn't hold air very well.

    -Erik
  • I am not sure what silating cotton would do to look and feel, but it would be permanent.(you probably scrape the stuff off your windshield). I just get annoyed when people apply words in ways they shouldn't, rendering them meaningless.

    I get up in the morning, pour nano-fat globules on my nano-starch wafers, which I consume thereby filling my body with nano-fuel.
    Or I could say that I ate cereal for breakfast!

  • It is believed that the Cro Magnons superceded the Neanderthals in Northern Europe largely because of the greater thermal efficiency their sewn clothing gave them.

    While I agree that Gore-Tex has many fine qualities, it seems to me that it's biggest problem is its shiny nylon-ness, which precludes its wearing in many "civilian" situations.

    The prospect of wearing regular fabrics that have been given an invisible nano-shield to our delightful British weather is a very exciting one.

    Yes, I cycle for transport year round. No I don't necessarily want to look like "A CYCLIST"

  • i think i saw these things (Score:3)

    by peterjm ( 1865 ) on Thursday January 11, 2001 @10:20AM (#513756)
    wasn't britney spears wearing them at the music awards the other night?

    oh, those were just really small pants..
    mybad.
  • The patent on gore-tex ran out in the last year or there abouts. So the price has come down...

    I looked recently for a Gore-Tex rainsuit for bicyclists and the prices didn't seem any lower than last years or the year before.

    When you mention the REI stuff are you talking about Gore-Tex or some other type of breathable water resistant technology? I figure a guy from Portland ought to be in the know about this sort of thing....

  • But are they hot-grits resistant?

  • What I understood from the article is that this stuff does let water through (sweat), it just doesn't let it soak into the fabric itself. So the, say, hot grits you accidentally pour on your pants will soak through but not soak into (thus preventing stains and making it easy to wipe off). You're still going to get wet and burned.

    As for extreme environments (cold) where getting your clothes soaking wet can be deadly, I don't know if this would apply too well. I mean, you'd still get wet, and it'd get inside your clothes and on your skin, but your clothes wouldn't stay wet... They just kinda pass the moisture through on to you. Then it would evaporate away just like sweat would, making you cold. But I don't think you'd stay cold (wet) as long...

    Or did I miss your point?

  • No more laundry (Score:4)

    by Tyrannosaurus ( 203173 ) on Thursday January 11, 2001 @10:26AM (#513760)
    How about self-cleaning textiles that are covered in nano-machines that eject dirt?

    Self-cleaning clothes? Where do I sign up? Then all I need are some nano-bots with little nano-irons to get all the wrinkles out. They could call them... nano-moms?

    ---

  • This stuff is not like Gore-Tex (which is a waterproof-breathable system) but it could be used with GT or other WPB fabric systems.

    The technology discussed in the article would be an alternative to a DWR coating.

    Huh? DWR? wha?

    Here's the explanation. Why do mountianeers care about Gore-Tex and why to the residents of Washington state seem to have mixed feelings about it? Mountaineers care because in the mountains: wet=bad insulation, bad insulation=cold, and cold=dead, thus wet=dead. Mountaineers want to stay dry, even though they are sweating buckets hiking up hill with a heavy pack on in a storm. Why do people in Washington state complain that GT doesn't work - temperature and humidity differentials (or lack thereof).

    WPB systems work by creating a layer of otherwise impermiable material with tiny holes (nano-holes, if you will) These holes are so small that liquid water, with its property of surface tension, can't make it through the holes (without a ton of pressure) but water vapor can move through. In the case of Gore-Tex the layer is a film of teflon based material that has been heated and stretched just the right about to create the right size holes. The film is then glued to a woven fabric (usually nylon based). Lots of people make the teflon film, but Gore is good at the gluing, not so much that it clogs the holes, not so little that you get delamination. There are some membrane based competitors, but many use a coating process. These are coatings that are unlikely to come off the fabric (in contrast to Durable Water Repellent coatings, but mor on that in a minute) Lowe Alpine's Triple Point Ceramic spreads a coating on the fabric that has tiny ceramic beads in it, as it hardens, the beads are removed, leaving the right proportion of the right sized holes. Others use a foamy goo that is spread on the fabric. Too thick and it blocks your sweat vapor. Too thin and it isn't waterproof. The cost is in quality control. Really good versons of this like H2NO Storm from Patagonia requires the kind of quality obsession that they are known for. The mid range stuff like Columbia's Omni-Tech is a compromise between control and cost. And there's some cheap crap out there.

    So what's the difference. Well, Gore-Tex is really the best (and most expensive) Why? It is the most breathable (puts up the least resistance to vapor movement), most waterproof (it takes about 60psi to force water through it) and most durable (you can abuse it with out the laminate comming offf the fabric, wearing out the fabric is another issue, though) Runners up are Lowe's TPC, Patagucci's H2No Storm, Sympatex, Membrain, and a few others. This second teir is slightly less breathable, slightly less waterproof (to about 30 psi) and slightly less durable. These are the real value fabrics for casual skiing, back packing and running around town. The next rung down is dominated by Columbia's Omni-Tech. It's even less breathable, less waterproof (to about 10 or 15 psi) and less durable. It's a good bet for the ocasional skiier and totally does the trick for slogging to the mall and walking the dog, but doesn't cut it for backpacking or real backcountry use.

    So where does the nanofuzz come in? It sounds like a great replacement for the Durable Water Repellent coating that all these jackets have. You see, once your sweat vapor gets through the little holes, it has to pass through the woven fabric. The synthetic fibres used in the coats don't like to soak up water like cotton, but the spaces between the fibres can get filled with liquid water, which blocks your sweat from escaping. DWRs cause water to bead up on the surface of the fabric, and not soak in. All the jackets you see at the outdoor shop have a fresh coat of DWR and will work great for a while. But as the DWR wears off (and it will) and as dirt and oils coat the threads, your jacket will start to absorb liquid water, and thus block your sweat from escaping. The jacket is still waterproof, but the water you feel on the inside is your sweat condensing on the inside of the jacket. By carefully washing and drying your jacket, you can revive the DWR to some degree, but eventually you will have to use a spray or wash-in treatment to re-coat the threads. It doesn't matter how high end it is, the DWR will wear out. From Mountain Hardwear to Columbia to Patagonia to REI to Sears to Marmot, they all wear out (cheaper faster) its just like changing the oil in a car - Mercedes are not exempt. It's as a replacement for the DWR that the nanofuzz could be great. By itself, though, the nanofuzz can't prevent liquid water from being pushed through the fibres by wind or a pack shoulder strap, so it won't replace Gore-Tex.

    So why do Washingtonians gripe? It has to do with temperature and humidity. Gore-Tex works great in the cold, dry mountains. You huff up hill, and the inside of your jacket is 96 degrees and 100percent humidity. Outside it's 10 degrees and 10 percent humidity. Your sweat vapor really wants to move outside your jacket. But if you reverse things by, say, putting on your jacket inside an airconditioned trailer in a rain forrest, then walking out side, the warm damp air outside will drive water vapor into your cool, dry jacket. Not liquid water, but water vapor, driven by the difference between relative humidity across the jacket's layer. So what happens when you are hiking and it's really humid (like raining) and not so cold (like 70 degrees) like in Washington state? Not much. Your sweat isn't being drawn out of your jacket very fast because of the minimal difference between inside and outside. Instead it condenses on your skin and jacket and you feel gross and clamy. Hey, it's not majic, it's just priced like it is.

    It's worth noting what you're paying for with Gore-Tex. First you are getting the best stuff out there. Additionally, you are paying for a fairly big ad campaign. But most importantly you are paying for some good engineering and quality control. When you want to make a GT jacket, you work with Gore to select a fabric that will work in the jacket and that the laminate will adhere to well (it is teflon after all). Then Gore inspects your production facilities (big whoop) Finally, Gore takes samples of your finished jackets and puts them on dummies in wind and rain simulators to make sure that your design doesn't let (much) water leak in around the neck or the zipper flaps. After all that, they let you use the "for extreme wet weather" diamond hang tag. If you are forking out the big bucks, look for the tag. Gore will sell you fabric and send you on your way, but without their quality assurance process you don't get the hang tag. (There are lower grades of tag to watch out for)

    Just as an aside, it's worth ranting about The North Face. They started as a small company, founded by climbers who wanted really good gear, so they made it themselves (sound familiar) As the company grew the founders cashed out and went on to do things like by 10% of the land area of Chile. That left the 'managers' in charge of the company. For a while that wasn't so bad, the went on making some of the best gear in the world. As a result of that quality, the brand earned a great reputation. Several years ago, the management realized that they could cash in on the reputation. The core designers (think coders here) wern't down for becomming the next Nike, so they split and founded Mountain Hardwear. TNF got a hatchet job CEO, did an IPO, cut quality and tried to market the hell out of the crap they were churning out. (they recently got new management, so this might change) So if you are looking at North Face stuff, thinking that it's the best out there - it's not. What ever you imagine TNF stuff to be, Mountain Hardwear is what you are thinking of.

    Note: I don't work for any of these companies, but I did work in a shop selling this stuff for two years (part time) and I use it as often as I can get away from my CAD station.

  • Hm, it seems like you're right. I'm a mountaineer myself, with a particular love for the arctic and a fan of Gore-Tex. Not because it is the best under all conditions, but because it is the most generally usable thing.

    However, in very cold environments, many people experience that moisture freezes on the inside of the jacket, making an impenetratable shield. I haven't experienced this myself, I tend to think that it is due to that these people are wearing to much clothing, practically getting overheated (hey, yeah, it's cold, but not that cold! :-) ).

    I could be wrong though, and in that case, this is something that would certainly make their life easier.

  • Another alternative to Gore-Tex? (Score:4)

    by alpinist ( 96637 ) on Thursday January 11, 2001 @10:28AM (#513763)
    Well, speaking as one who literally has relied on waterproof/breathable fabrics to survive in cold, inhospitable places (As in McKinley and the Canadian Rockies to name a couple) I'd really like to see a cheap alternative to gore-tex. Especially if it actually breathes better than GT does. Go mountaineering and/or ice climbing, and you have a tendency to put holes in your nice new $600 jacket and bib pants right away. Usually on the first day you wear them. :P
    My only question is, what kind of pressure rating does it withstand before water leaks on through? Is this a shed a little rain type of PR gimmick, or is it suited to Real Wet Environments(tm)?
    --
  • Does that mean they won't let me pass water?

    Oh no. I'll have to hold it all day!

  • It seems like they are trying to promote something as nano-tech, when it is probably just decades-old chemistry. My guess is that they are treating the fibers with something like octadecyl trichloro silane, which will attach themselves to the hydroxyl group on the cotton fiber. This would make the fiber water and stain resistant. This technology is very common, and has been used to make things like glass bead-resistant.
    Of course I could be wrong, but none of the articles have a technical explanation.

  • if it'll give me a garment that weighs less than three pounds that'll keep me warm when it's 0 degrees F out,

    It sounds to me like you're dressing wrong. No single garment is supposed to do that, at least not current garments. If you think Gore-Tex is too hot, then you're wearing it up. If it's warm, you're not supposed to keep it closed up everywhere, you're supposed to open it up, or take it off entirely. And yes, even down to the temperatures you're mentioning.

    Now this needs more emphasis than it gets in mountaineering textbooks: The secret to staying warm is to vary the clothing you wear all the time. Especially, you can vary body temperature very easily by wearing different clothing on the parts of the body were heat is easily lost, like the head, neck, wrist and indeed armpits.

    Also, it is important not to wear too hot underwear. That's a very common mistake people make, they have very hot underwear, they get overheated and there's a lot of sweat on their skin, so when they stop, they get cold. The underwear you were should not be very insulating, only get the damn sweat away from the skin.

    While walking, I seldom wear more than a Gore-Tex jacket and this thin underwear down to -20 degrees celsius (yeah, and pants of course). That's about -4 F, isn't it? Below that, I some times wear a thin fleece jacket. And when stopping to have lunch, get a very thick hat on, and a down jacket, and you should be okay.

  • suddenly the registration requirements for the New York Times doesn't seem like such a pain in the ass. The article reads like it was written by a fourth grader.
  • I agree with you on the Gore-Tex bit. Way too hot, doesn't breathe for shite. Best to buy a garment that has strategically placed zippers, al la under the armpits, to cool one's self. It sounds like this nano-tex stuff will be even less breathable. Perhaps like wearing soft rubber. Of course, if it'll give me a garment that weighs less than three pounds that'll keep me warm when it's 0 degrees F out, I'm all for it!

  • No more unsightly spots... (Score:3)

    by xFoz ( 231025 ) on Thursday January 11, 2001 @10:47AM (#513771)
    The guy that invented this was tired of those spots you get on pants accidently when taking a leak. He must have thought of this while trying to figure out what to tell his date:

    1. "No, no, it's water that splashed out of the sink."
    2. "What spots?"
    3. "Damn, I'm inventing a new fabric, and I guess this versions still got bugs."
  • There's another reason why this is worthy of slashdot: we're now one step closer to clothes that clean themselves, which, when combined with IV nutrients, enables nerds to do week-long coding binges without worrying about starvation OR hygiene!
  • now all we need is to make sure that the "hairs" are pants can also be used for nano-erotic stimulation...

    now everyone can have that just had an orgasm smile on there face all day long... makes sitting at a computer all day a little more bearable...

  • The answer is to not sweat.
    If you're sweating at 0F or lower, then you are asking for trouble. Gore-Tex and breathable materials aren't the solution - unzipping your top layer before you start to sweat is. Your target is to _maintain_ your body temperature. If your clothes force you to try to lose heat they're wrong.

    You're right about strategic (armpit) zips (velcro etc.) certainly, they're a big help.

    FatPhil
    (my birthday 1994, half an hour walk home at -25F, brrr!)
    -- Real Men Don't Use Porn. -- Morality In Media Billboards
  • If you stand at a urinal the backsplash will repel, but if you neglect to shake well enough that will go through the fabric...

    hmm... *shrug*

    E.
    www.randomdrivel.com [randomdrivel.com] -- All that is NOT fit to link to
  • I'm a geek. I'm interested in nano-tech. I'm also an outdoorsman. So, yes.
  • I don't know of a Gore-Tex-like process for cotton. IIRC, Gore-Tex (and their competitor whose name I can't remember) applies a thin coating of teflon that creates a mesh with holes that are too small for water droplets but small enough for water vapor to pass through. Sounds like this technology could be used for clothes that won't make you look like an REI-Coop poster child.

    --
  • As a hardcore snowboarder, this is good news!

    I already have a bunch of Gore-Tex lined gear, and it's great stuff. Not stain resistant, but hell, nothing a can of ScotchGard can't fix.

    I do wonder though, is the only reason this got mentioned on Slapmeat because of the word "nano" in the name? ;>

  • I don't know why, but I have the urge to say this:
    "Arrrrr, we must protect our precious cargo"
    "Would that be the nano-pants sir?"
    "Aye."
  • you don't need a new pair of pants, you need a less stressful job.

    www.ridiculopathy.com [ridiculopathy.com]

  • First shirts, now pants?

    has ./ turned into the fashion channel?

  • They do specifically mention that the first company to sign up for this stuff makes fabric for khakis. And as you all know, khakis have a much bigger problem showing pee spots then other pants. I think you're on to something.

    -B
  • The Everquest Pants contain a special lining for those Everquest junkies too lazy or engrossed to releive themselves properly.

    www.ridiculopathy.com [ridiculopathy.com]

  • Besides being the most disgusting concept I have read(no offense, I'm a guy. I'm supposed to get grossed out by that), I don't think that would be a safe idea. Don't want to get air in the uterus. Trust me, a woman's business down there is something us guys don't want to think about, nor dare try to innovate inside.

  • Re:This would make a good tampon (Score:2)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Have you heard of TSS you arsehole!

    Read this and lean something today [uiuc.edu]

    Not funny, juvinile, purile. I guess you've never spent any proper time around women...

  • Now we just need one of those jackets from Back to the Future 2 and we'll always stay dry!
  • The fear to innovate in women's medicine just because you're grossed out is a socially untenable fear. There is already very little research going into new oral contraceptives and other necessary endeavors. Despite the adverse health effects of putting a bleached piece of cotton into one's body, people continue to do it because they have no viable alternative. We need more accountability in the industry, and we need to do our part to make sure new technologies penetrate these neglected markets.

    To whoever moderated my original comment down: you're an ignorant coward.
  • A store like the GAP makes their own cloths. They have over 300 contract factories in Asia. It costs less than 5 dollars to make and import a pair of pants then sell for over 40 bucks.
  • Haven't Wallace and Grommit taught us a lesson about the foibles of having technically advanced pants?
  • Now that the USA will have a president again (I almost doubted it), shouldn't Gore-Tex be renamed to Bush-Tex? And, what does Donald Knuth think about all this? Helix is renamed as well, so...
  • Isn't gore-tex supposed to breathe? If not, I'm way off base, but based on my experience with Gore-tex, the stuff doesn't breathe too well. I'll believe that this new Nano-tex breathes well when I have an opportunity to try it.

  • I suspect this this is more like: "Only $5.00 more -- to MANUFACTURE" which of course will translate to a $20-$50 premium to the consumer. Still, if it does everything the article says it will, that's still not all THAT more expensive.
  • You should call this Nano-trousers. In the English-speaking world, pants are what you Americans call underpants.

    Also pants [dircon.co.uk] is used as a term of abuse indicating lameness, as in 'those trolls are really pants [ezboard.com]'.
    Maybe it's a British thing - I think it came from some Childrens' TV show using 'pants' as a substitute for a word that you can't use onTV

    Anyway nanopants sound totally pants to me.
  • I meant REI's version of gore, called REI Elements. Omni-Tech is Columbia's version. Other companies have funky names for their stuff. Like I mentioned previously, I don't know how close a copy these are of gore. When the patent runs out, I don't know how other companies can copy it- the exact receipe, or the little bits of technology that make it work, but in their own mix?

    Jason

  • woah (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward
    can you imagine an entire wardrobe of these?
  • So's gore-tex -- it's advertised to allow sweat out but not let rain in...

    it's pretty good at the latter, in my experience...not so good at the former...

  • 'Is this really /. material' (if material were spelled right) is actually quite a clever pun, given the subject of the article. However, I'm not sure it was intended.
  • I've used gore-tex for many years. I've also used a lot of coatings that are supposedly "breathable". I find that breathables and gore-tex work excellently in snow, but heavy downpores like I see in the PNW eventually let water creep in.

    I hope this technology works, but it would have to be as good as gore-tex to be competitive, and it should be durable. I know most people who have gore-tex $500 n.f. jackets only walk accross the parking lot in them, but for those of us who escape to the mountains regularly it is critical.

    -Moondog
  • It's not clear as to whether is $5 to the cost of manufacturing a pair of pants or $5 to the cost for the consumer?

    If it's $5 to the manufacturing of garments then we can expect to pay a lot more. Well, I won't, the pants I have are perfectly fine at the job they are intended to do ;)

  • Another Screenplay Spoof (Score:5)

    by packphour ( 257276 ) on Thursday January 11, 2001 @10:49AM (#513800) Homepage
    INT. - ELEMENTARY SCHOOL YARD - DAY
    We close in on a group of kids who are pointing and laughing at one poor boy.
    Kids
    (in unison)
    "Pee Pee Pendergrass, pee'd his shorts. Pee Pee Pendergrass, is a weak bladder dork!"
    Little Pendergrass cries...

    20 Years Later.

    INT. - LABRATORY - NIGHT

    Pendergrass
    "I've done it! I've done it! Never again will people with bladder problems be publicly humiliated!"
    MONTAGE:

    JCPenny's display of Nano-Pants, Nano-Pants commercial of a little boy who seems to be peeing and smiling happily, Slashdot posting of the story...

  • Is for slashdot to add a Mindless Link Post [kuro5hin.org] section.
  • Fibers that selectively control the flow of liquids so that they pass in one direction but not the other would be ideal for a super tampon, one that you never have to remove or throw out until after the whole week is over. You could combine it with an organic reprocessor inside which would convert the liquids into dry pellets or extrude them as gaseous byproducts, making the whole process completely hands-off and foolproof. The mark up would be big, but you'd only need one per month and we already have seen people's willingness to buy disposable contact lenses and other such luxuries. It's time that this same technological revolution come to feminine hygiene products.
  • OK, so they can't get stained.
    Just because my underwear isn't yet stained, doesn't mean that won't wash them every month or so.
    So how do you go about washing them?
    Sure the pants are only $5 more, but the high-tech 10000psi nano-washers will cost more than a P4, and probably work just as well.
  • Jefferson Labs [jlab.org] with support from the DoE [energy.gov] and Southeastern Universities Research Association [sura.org] have created a the most powerful tunable laser [jlab.org] that uses a particle accelerator's electron beam as its source of light. It's called the Free Electron Laser (FEL) [jlab.org] and has been able to produce such items as this with a greater quality and at less cost (cost=power consumption). This laser has many potential uses, including usage in military targeting systems for offensive and defensive (like disarming a nuke from miles away) systems. It could also be used to produce man-made fabrics that have been altered at a microscopic level to be as soft as wool (of course, creating such nano-fibers as this article claims to be so unique). Interesting, huh?
  • Turn them inside out and you should have no problem. You just cant cuddle with Rudolph anymore cause all his sweat will wick right onto you.
  • If you put them on inside out, does the liquid all accumulate on the inside?

    Eugh!

    FP.

    -- Real Men Don't Use Porn. -- Morality In Media Billboards
  • oops. sorry. that was a language mistake -- to be clearer, my experience with goretex is that it's a bit like walking around in my own personal sauna -- not quite as bad as most waterproof things, but it could stand a bit of improvement...

  • Close, maybe. Disposable diapers? I tend to agree with the other poster about the problems of toxic shock making such a device unlikely.

    And to answer the other poster who said that

    a woman's business down there is something us guys don't to think about nor dare try to innovate inside
    Well, hey, the Pill and the first commercial tampon [mum.org] were invented by men. The female body being a part of the natural world, us guys are as entitled to think upon it and help out our sisters, mothers, and wives out as anybody. Claiming otherwise is about as dumb as saying only blacks should do research on sickle-cell anemia.
  • http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/cckev000.htm
  • Come to think of it, what happens when you wet your pants (God forbid!). Does it all stay inside and give you that warm comfortable feeling ("Gee, my nuts feel kinda swimmy...") or is it regarded as sweat (eventually) and spreads around the usual way...?

  • We had a lot of laughs about that over here; and 62 million people can't believe you actually made a film called Free Willy....

    ...and didn't realise... :)

    We all realized it. But seeing it was a DISNEY movie aimed at a DISNEY audience, we largely ignored it altogether. (Though I'm sure Jay Leno and Dave Letterman probably made 2 weeks worth of jokes about it.)


    -The Reverend (I am not a Nazi nor a Troll)

  • New URL: (Score:1)

    by Anm ( 18575 )
    Here is the current URL:
    http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/ccarch/cckev000 .htm [usatoday.com]
  • Did you read the article? It was designed to pass sweat.

    Heck, it says that even in the summary up top; now, do you disagree? If so, why?

  • ...hot nano-grits that still retain their pourability.

    At least we wouldn't see any "how is this News for Nerds?" posts.
  • I can see it now...

    Man dies after attempting a blue flame with new pants on.

    It has "made in America" written all over it! :}
  • I really, really want to moderate this down, but that wouldn't get my point across.

    You're right about TSS. But do you really think that profanity and personal insults are the best way to get your message out? Your assumption that the poster was being "not funny, juvenile, purile" instead of simply being uninformed, is inflammatory and unhelpful. Why attack someone who, to all appearances, simply made an unwarranted speculation?

    Contrary to what seems to be a popular belief, getting angry at people does not encourage them to listen to you.

    -----
    Go ahead, blame me... I voted for Nader!
  • Whoa, only $5? Are you kidding? I get my pants from goodwill for $.25
  • Did anybody else think of Daisy Duke when they read the headline?

    Ben
  • Some severely-undersized guys can now have a "nanoparty in their nanopants"?

    - A.P.

    --
    * CmdrTaco is an idiot.

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